The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 01 - Vaetra Unveiled by Daniel R. Marvello Page B
Authors: Daniel R. Marvello
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crashing was heading through the forest directly toward us. We were going to be ambushed and have to fight our way out. Meanwhile, the thief was getting away in the other direction!
Before the sense of panic fully took hold of me, it suddenly eased off. The forest seemed to blur a little and the crashing noise sounded less threatening. It was more like something was pacing us alongside the trail. Sulana's Veil gave off a low-pitched hum, and whatever it was doing helped me push aside the sense of going the wrong way. I remembered that I needed to just keep moving and follow her. The competing spells of the Ward and the Veil gave our charge a slow-motion, almost dreamlike, feeling.
As before, the Ward's effects suddenly dropped from my mind. I shook my head to clear it and looked up to see Sulana returning the Veil to her case. She turned to me and smiled. "That worked nicely," she said. All I could do was nod.
I looked around to find that we were at the edge of a large clearing. The trail we came in on disappeared into the forest behind us. The healer's familiar squat cottage sat atop a long rise before us, backed up against the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. Smoke curled out of the chimney and faded into the sky. It all seemed so incongruently peaceful after our wild ride down the trail.
That's when I noticed the horse quietly cropping grass at the side of the cabin. It wore a stained saddle and a set of saddle bags. The reins trailed to the ground, giving the horse the freedom to wander as it wished.
What concerned me was that Meghan didn't own a horse.
***
Barek started to ride forward. "Wait," I told him. He stopped to look at me questioningly. I pointed up the hill. "That's not the healer's horse."
Barek leaned out of his saddle and looked at the ground for a moment. He turned to Sulana and said "These tracks match the ones we were following yesterday."
"Good. I think we finally found our thief," Sulana said. She narrowed her eyes and observed the cabin carefully. "He may use the healer as a hostage. We'll have to do this carefully." She swung down from her saddle and armed her crossbow.
The cabin's windows were shuttered, which wasn't a surprise given that the morning air was still cool. I figured that if we circled around the base of the hill and approached the cabin from the side, we would be able to get close and still have cover. Sulana apparently had the same thought.
Her expression was serious and her voice determined as she gave us her orders. "Stay with the horses," she said to me. "Talon, you and Barek approach from the left. Daven and I will go right." Everyone nodded their understanding.
I was reluctant to stay behind. I didn't want Meghan to get hurt, but I knew I was still just along for the ride on this mission. I would have to trust that Sulana's team would do what they could to protect Meghan. Still, I itched to sneak forward with the others.
Ducking low and staying near the tree line, both teams quickly moved toward the cabin. They didn't even make it half way before the front door opened. Talon and Barek melted back into the trees, while Sulana and Daven hit the dirt. Sulana aimed her crossbow at the open doorway.
Meghan stepped out of the cabin with her hands held up and her palms facing us so we could see that she was unarmed. She wore a long tan linen dress with the sleeves rolled up above her elbows. The front of her dress was covered by a white apron that was stained with blood, and her long grey hair was tightly restrained behind her. Her clear voice called out to us, "You can come forward. The man you seek is in no condition to fight you."
Sulana stared at Meghan for a moment. There was no way to tell if she was telling the truth or if the thief stood right behind her with a knife at her back.
Meghan stepped forward a few paces and added, "If you want to see him before he dies, you'd best hurry up."
Sulana turned to Daven and said something. He shrugged, and they
Before the sense of panic fully took hold of me, it suddenly eased off. The forest seemed to blur a little and the crashing noise sounded less threatening. It was more like something was pacing us alongside the trail. Sulana's Veil gave off a low-pitched hum, and whatever it was doing helped me push aside the sense of going the wrong way. I remembered that I needed to just keep moving and follow her. The competing spells of the Ward and the Veil gave our charge a slow-motion, almost dreamlike, feeling.
As before, the Ward's effects suddenly dropped from my mind. I shook my head to clear it and looked up to see Sulana returning the Veil to her case. She turned to me and smiled. "That worked nicely," she said. All I could do was nod.
I looked around to find that we were at the edge of a large clearing. The trail we came in on disappeared into the forest behind us. The healer's familiar squat cottage sat atop a long rise before us, backed up against the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. Smoke curled out of the chimney and faded into the sky. It all seemed so incongruently peaceful after our wild ride down the trail.
That's when I noticed the horse quietly cropping grass at the side of the cabin. It wore a stained saddle and a set of saddle bags. The reins trailed to the ground, giving the horse the freedom to wander as it wished.
What concerned me was that Meghan didn't own a horse.
***
Barek started to ride forward. "Wait," I told him. He stopped to look at me questioningly. I pointed up the hill. "That's not the healer's horse."
Barek leaned out of his saddle and looked at the ground for a moment. He turned to Sulana and said "These tracks match the ones we were following yesterday."
"Good. I think we finally found our thief," Sulana said. She narrowed her eyes and observed the cabin carefully. "He may use the healer as a hostage. We'll have to do this carefully." She swung down from her saddle and armed her crossbow.
The cabin's windows were shuttered, which wasn't a surprise given that the morning air was still cool. I figured that if we circled around the base of the hill and approached the cabin from the side, we would be able to get close and still have cover. Sulana apparently had the same thought.
Her expression was serious and her voice determined as she gave us her orders. "Stay with the horses," she said to me. "Talon, you and Barek approach from the left. Daven and I will go right." Everyone nodded their understanding.
I was reluctant to stay behind. I didn't want Meghan to get hurt, but I knew I was still just along for the ride on this mission. I would have to trust that Sulana's team would do what they could to protect Meghan. Still, I itched to sneak forward with the others.
Ducking low and staying near the tree line, both teams quickly moved toward the cabin. They didn't even make it half way before the front door opened. Talon and Barek melted back into the trees, while Sulana and Daven hit the dirt. Sulana aimed her crossbow at the open doorway.
Meghan stepped out of the cabin with her hands held up and her palms facing us so we could see that she was unarmed. She wore a long tan linen dress with the sleeves rolled up above her elbows. The front of her dress was covered by a white apron that was stained with blood, and her long grey hair was tightly restrained behind her. Her clear voice called out to us, "You can come forward. The man you seek is in no condition to fight you."
Sulana stared at Meghan for a moment. There was no way to tell if she was telling the truth or if the thief stood right behind her with a knife at her back.
Meghan stepped forward a few paces and added, "If you want to see him before he dies, you'd best hurry up."
Sulana turned to Daven and said something. He shrugged, and they
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